We read this statement together before every group discussion! It helps transition the group to discussion time, it reaffirms our highest values, and sets a tone of trust, consistency, and safety for everyone in the group.

We are a group of imperfect people pursuing a perfect God. We exist to help each other find and follow Christ. These are some things we want to be true of our group:

We create a safe and honest environment, staying transparent and authentic.

We keep it inside the circle. Confidentiality is necessary for a healthy group.

We look together to the Bible for help and guidance, and keep out our own politics, sales, or agendas.

We do not try to fix each other, preach sermons, or give unsolicited advice. We instead encourage, listen to, and celebrate each other.

We handle conflict between us quickly and honestly by going to the person, owning our part, and practicing forgiveness.

We respect each others’ time by starting and ending when we say we will.

We trust that it is God’s role to change people, not ours.

We believe that in Jesus Christ, there is hope for everyone.

Besides a parent, who has been the most influential person in your life and how so?

Around 50 AD, a church planter named Paul wrote a letter to a group of new Christians at a church in Galatia. He writes to encourage them, to challenge them, to remind them of what God has done and who they are. He writes because he wants them to experience freedom from people-pleasing, earning, striving, fear and rule-keeping.

In the 4th chapter, Paul paints a new picture to illustrate our freedom. He tells the Galatians that while they were once slaves to things that were "not gods", because of Jesus, they have been adopted by God and are now children of God. And as children of God, they can't continue to live like slaves. Paul invites the Galatians, and us, to enjoy our status as much loved children of God, and live free.

CONNECT

Do you have any experience with adoption? How has it impacted your family, your friends, or you?

DISCOVER

Read Galatians 4:8-9 (NIV) together.

“Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.”

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Jen said that although slavery is clearly not okay in our society now, we still experience slavery as Paul depicted it: people only wanting us around for what we can do for them, being enslaved to something that we don’t have control over, or feeling exposed in our shame. How can you relate to the picture of slavery as the Galatians would've understood it?

Throughout Galatians, Paul pinpointed a lot of ways that the Galatians were clearly acting like slaves instead of children of God. If someone was looking at your life like Paul was, what might look more like slavery than living free?

APPLY

Trusting our “not gods”Paul says that we all have a tendency to go back to our “not gods”, the things that we trust instead of God to satisfy us. What are your “not gods”? What do you look to for satisfaction or escape?

Fear of FailureJen said that when we think that perfection is the goal instead of just progress, we have a fear of failure. How does fear of failure keep you from living free?

God as “Abba”, FatherPaul gives the Galatians permission to call God “abba”, which meant “daddy”. And that was unheard of at the time! How does that level of intimacy and closeness with God make you feel? Is it hard for you to think of God as a perfect and loving Father?

Fear of TrustTrust is hard for all of us, especially when we’ve been burned in the past. What is standing in the way of you trusting that God has your best in mind, and that he won’t leave or abandon you?

Fear of the UnknownPaul talks a lot about how we’ve been adopted as children of God- and although nothing can change that status, we still fear the unknown of where we go from here and what life with God looks like. How has that kind of fear of the unknown affected you?

Accept Grace, Create Space, Set Your PaceJen’s three ideas for living free were to accept grace and the status of “God’s child”, create space daily to develop your relationship with God, and set your pace by walking alongside people who are ahead of you, with you, and behind you. Which of these are missing in your life? What would it take for them to be a reality in your life?

READ. PRAY. DO.

How did these things go since last week? What did you learn about yourself or God by reading, praying, or doing?

READ

Galatians 5 - Get the full picture of the 4th part of the letter we are looking at in this series.

PRAY

Prayer is simply talking honestly to God, in your own words or sometimes words written by others. Try praying this prayer, or something like it, throughout your week:Abba, Father, thank you for adopting me as your child, and putting me in right standing with you. I'm so thankful that I can come directly to you without anything or anyone in between. Help me believe and understand more fully that when you see me, you see Jesus and all His perfection. Let that inspire me to be in real relationship with you and trust you with my life, the good parts and the bad.

DO

Choose one of Jen’s action steps and make a real plan for making it a reality. Then talk through it or share it with a friend or group member so you can check in with each other!

Two Images in Galatians

A Slave

An Adopted Child

Galatians 4:4-7 (NIV)

4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

>>> We have been set free to live free.

Fear of Failure Keeps Us from Living Free

Galatians 4:8-9 (NIV)

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.

But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

Galatians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child.

Fear of Trust Keeps us from living free

Mark 14:36 (NIV)

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

Fear of the unknown keeps us from living free

Galatians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child…

To live free we...

Accept Grace

Does the way I’m living look like I’m a slave who is afraid or like I’m a son who is assured of my Father’s love?